Improved performances of lithium-ion batteries using intercalated a-Si–Ag thin film layers as electrodes

The laminated construction of an a-Si–Ag thin film electrode is demonstrated, which allows stabilization of the cycling performance of a silicon thin film layer in a lithium-ion battery. A silver thin film plays a determining role in the lithium insertion/extraction process and is incorporated between amorphous Si thin film layers (a-Si/Ag/a-Si), which results in not only high and stable capability, but also the best rate performance compared to that of other electrodes. For the electrode of a-Si/Ag/a-Si, a critical thickness of the silver layer (30 nm) is found; in this case, it exhibits the highest capacity retention of 70% after 200 cycles at a current density of 65.2 μA cm⁻² within the voltage range of 0.01–1.5 V. It is demonstrated that for the a-Si/Ag/a-Si (140/30/140 nm) electrode, enhanced capacity (∼59.1%) is derived from the buffer effect and excellent conductivity of silver layer. Silver interlayer may represent a universal platform for relieving stress in a silicon electrode. In addition, its excellent electrical conductivity will decrease the charge transfer resistance of Si electrode for lithium-ion batteries.

A novel silver interlayer is used to improve the electrochemical performance of the binder-free Si-based thin film anodes.     

Stabilizing cathode structure via the binder material with high resilience for lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have been considered as one of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems with high-energy density. The huge volumetric change of sulfur (ca. 80% increase in volume) in the cathode during discharge is one of the factors affecting the battery performance, which can be remedied with a binder. Herein, a self-crosslinking polyacrylate latex (PAL) is synthesized and used as a binder for the sulfur cathode of a Li–S battery to keep the cathode structure stable. The synthesized PAL has nano-sized latex particles and a low glass transition temperature (T_g), which will ensure a uniform dispersion and good adhesion in the cathode. This crosslinking structure can provide fine elasticity to recover from the deformation due to volumetric change. The stable cathode structure, stemming from the fine elasticity of the PAL binder, can facilitate ion migration and diffusion to decrease the polarization. Therefore, the Li–S batteries with the PAL binder can function well with excellent cycling stability and superior C-rate performance.

A self-crosslinking polyacrylate binder with fine elasticity stabilizing the sulfur cathode and endowing Li–S batteries with excellent performance.     

Prussian blue coated with reduced graphene oxide as high-performance cathode for lithium–Sulfur batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries with their outstanding theoretical energy density are strongly considered to take over the post-lithium ion battery era; however, they are limited by sluggish reaction kinetics and the severe shuttling of soluble lithium polysulfides. Prussian blue analogues (PBs) have demonstrated their efficiency in hindering the shuttle effects as host materials of sulfur; unfortunately, they show an inferior electronic conductivity, exhibiting considerable lifespan but poor rate performance. Herein, we rationally designed a PB@reduced graphene oxide as the host material for sulfur (S@PB@rGO) hybrids via a facile liquid diffusion and physical absorption method, in which the sulfur was integrated into Na₂Co[Fe(CN)₆] and rGO framework. When employed as a cathode, the as-prepared hybrid exhibited excellent rate ability (719 mA h g⁻¹ at 1C) and cycle stability (918 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.5C after 100 cycles). The improved electrochemical performance was attributed to the synergetic effect of PB and conductive rGO, which not only enhanced the physisorption of polysulfides but also provided a conductive skeleton to ensure rapid charge transfer kinetics, achieving high energy/power outputs and considerable lifespan simultaneously. This study may offer a new method manufacturing high performance Li–S batteries.

Lithium–sulfur batteries with high theoretical energy density are strongly considered to take over the post-lithium ion battery era; however, they are limited by sluggish reaction kinetics and the severe shuttling of soluble lithium polysulfides.     

Sulfur encapsulated in thermally reduced graphite oxide as a cathode for Li–S batteries

Rechargeable Li–S batteries are receiving ever-increasing attention due to their high theoretical energy density and inexpensive raw sulfur materials. However, their practical applications have been hindered by short cycle life and limited power density owing to the poor electronic conductivity of sulfur species, diffusion of soluble polysulfide intermediates (Li₂S_n, n = 4–8) and the large volume change of the S cathode during charge/discharge. Optimizing the carbon framework is considered as an effective approach for constructing high performance S/carbon cathodes because the microstructure of the carbon host plays an important role in stabilizing S and restricting the “shuttle reaction” of polysulfides in Li–S batteries. In this work, reduced graphite oxide (rGO) materials with different oxidation degree were investigated as the matrix to load the active material by an in situ thermally reducing graphite oxide (GO) and intercalation strategy under vacuum at 600 °C. It has been found that the loaded amount of S embedded in the rGO layer for the S/carbon cathode and its electrochemical performance strongly depended on the oxidation degree of GO. In particular, on undergoing CS₂ treatment, the rGO–S cathode exhibits extraordinary performances in Li–S batteries. For instance, at a current density of 0.2 A g⁻¹, the optimized rGO–S cathode shows a columbic efficiency close to 100% and retains a capacity of around 750 mA h g⁻¹ with progressive cycling up to over 250 cycles.

Reduced graphite oxide materials with different oxidation degree were investigated as the matrix to load sulfur by an in situ thermal-reduction and intercalation strategy. The C/S composite cathode exhibits a superior electrochemical properties.     

Facile hydrothermal synthesis of ternary Ni–Co–Se/carbon nanotube nanocomposites as advanced electrodes for lithium storage

Ternary Ni–Co–Se/carbon nanotube nanocomposites have been successfully prepared via a one-step hydrothermal strategy. When used as electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the Ni–Co–Se/CNT composite exhibits good lithium storage performances including excellent cycling stability and outstanding specific capacity, good cycling stability, and high initial coulombic efficiency. A high specific capacity of 687.8 mA h g⁻¹ after 100 charge–discharge cycles at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹ with high cycling stability is achieved. The excellent battery performance of Ni–Co–Se/CNT should be attributed to the synergistic effect of Ni and Co ions and the formed network structure.

A Ni–Co–Se/CNT composite exhibits outstanding Li-ion storage performance with respect to high reversible Li-storage capacity, high cyclability and high rate performance.     

An efficient removal mechanism for different hydrophilic antibiotics from aquatic environments by Cu–Al–Fe–Cr quasicrystals

The work studied the adsorption properties and mechanism of Cu–Al–Fe–Cr quasicrystals (QCs) for the adsorption of ibuprofen (IBU), tedizolid phosphate (TZD), and sulbactam sodium (SAM) for the first time. The experimental results showed that quasicrystals were good adsorbents with great potential. The structure, surface morphology, and elemental composition of QCs were investigated by XPS, XRD, SEM, EDX, particle size, DSC-TG, and FTIR. The adsorption pH, kinetics, thermodynamics, and isotherms of IBU, TZD, and SAM in QCs were systematically studied. QCs had good adsorption performance for antibiotics, and the adsorption capacities of IBU, TZD, and SAM were 46.964, 49.206, and 35.292 mg g⁻¹ at the concentration of 25 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The surface charge and hydrophobicity of QCs were affected by changing pH, thereby affecting the adsorption performance of QCs. The main driving forces of adsorption included electrostatic force and hydrophobicity.

Adsorption of three antibiotic drugs (ibuprofen, sulbactamsodium, and terdiazole phosphate) with different hydrophobicity by using Cu–Al–Fe–Cr quasicrystals with multilayer structure as the adsorbent was investigated.     

Metal–organic framework derived hollow porous CuO–CuCo2O4 dodecahedrons as a cathode catalyst for Li–O2 batteries

Herein, hollow porous CuO–CuCo₂O₄ dodecahedrons are synthesized by using a simple self-sacrificial metal–organic framework (MOF) template, which resulted in dodecahedron morphology with hierarchically porous architecture. When evaluated as a cathodic electrocatalyst in lithium–oxygen batteries, the CuO–CuCo₂O₄ composite exhibits a significantly enhanced electrochemical performance, delivering an initial capacity of 6844 mA h g⁻¹ with a remarkably decreased discharge/charge overpotential to 1.15 V (vs. Li/Li⁺) at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹ and showing excellent cyclic stability up to 111 charge/discharge cycles under a cut-off capacity of 1000 mA h g⁻¹ at 400 mA g⁻¹. The outstanding electrochemical performance of CuO–CuCo₂O₄ composite can be owing to the intrinsic catalytic activity, unique porous structure and the presence of substantial electrocatalytic sites. The ex situ XRD and SEM are also carried out to reveal the charge/discharge behavior and demonstrate the excellent reversibility of the CuO–CuCo₂O₄ based electrode.

Metal–organic framework derived porous CuO–CuCo₂O₄ dodecahedrons as a cathode catalyst for Li–O₂ batteries with significantly enhanced rate and cyclic performance.     

Enhanced stability of nitrogen doped porous carbon fiber on cathode materials for high performance lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are considered to be one of the candidates for high-energy density storage systems due to their ultra-high theoretical specific capacity of 1675 mA h g⁻¹. However, problems of rapid capacity decay, sharp expansion in volume of the active material, and the shuttle effect have severely restricted their subsequent development and utilization. Herein, we design a nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanofiber (NPCNF) network as a sulfur host by the template method. The NPCNF shows a feather-like structure. After loading sulfur, the NPCNF/S composite can maintain a hierarchically porous structure. A high discharge capacity of 1301 mA h g⁻¹ is delivered for the NPCNT/S composite at 0.1C. The reversible charge/discharge capacity at 2C is 576 mA h g⁻¹, and 700 mA h g⁻¹ is maintained after 500 cycles at 0.5C. The high electrochemical performance of this NPCNT/S composite is attributed to the synergy effects of abundant N active sites and high electrical conductivity of the material.

The conductive network of nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanofibers was successfully prepared by the template method. The doping of nitrogen and the synergistic effect of mesopores and micropores reduce the energy barrier of Li⁺ migration in the material.     

Porous lithium cobalt oxide fabricated from metal–organic frameworks as a high-rate cathode for lithium-ion batteries

Porous materials have many applications, such as energy storage, as catalysts and adsorption etc. Nevertheless, facile synthesis of porous materials remains a challenge. In this work, porous lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂) is fabricated directly from Co-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs, ZIF-67) and lithium salt via a facile solid state annealing approach. The temperature affect on the microstructure of LiCoO₂ is also investigated. The as-prepared LiCoO₂ shows a uniform porous structure. As a cathode for a lithium-ion battery (LIB), the LiCoO₂ delivers excellent stability and superior rate capability. The as-prepared porous LiCoO₂ delivers a reversible capacity of 106.5 mA h g⁻¹ at 2C and with stable capacity retention of 96.4% even after 100 cycles. This work may provide an alternative pathway for the preparation of porous materials with broader applications.

Porous lithium cobalt oxide is fabricated directly from Co-based metal–organic frameworks and lithium salt via a facile solid state annealing approach.     

Semisolid Al–Ga composites fabricated at room temperature for hydrogen generation

Usually, Al–Ga alloys are prepared by heating materials to hundreds of degrees for a long time, and the alloys obtained are in the solid state. Although some Ga-rich liquid Al–Ga composites have been developed lately, the mass percentage of Al is small, due to which the hydrogen generation rate and efficiency are limited. Besides, an alkaline solution is indispensable in these studies, which is also a limitation. In this paper, a semisolid Al–Ga composite has been fabricated by mixing liquid gallium and fragmented aluminium foils at room temperature, which is an effective means to generate hydrogen from pure water. With the increase in the Al proportion, the mixture changes from a liquid to a cement-like semisolid material morphologically. Furthermore, an application of the fuel cell taking advantage of the hydrogen released from the composites is given. This method does not require a high-temperature device and only requires water to produce hydrogen once the semisolid Al–Ga composite material is fabricated. Therefore, this is a new approach for making more portable and safer devices for hydrogen production.

A semisolid Al–Ga composite fabricated at room temperature is used as a novel material to generate hydrogen from pure water.     

Ternary composites of Ni–polyaniline–graphene as counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), different in principle from the conventional solar cells based on p–n junctions, are competitively cost-effective. For development of this kind of emerging solar cell, it is very significant to reduce their cost and improve their energy conversion efficiency to the maximum extent. In this article, ternary composites (Ni–PANI–G composites) consisting of nickel nanoparticles, polyaniline (PANI), and graphene (G) were prepared for the first time and used as counter electrodes to replace the noble metal Pt in DSSCs. In the case of PANI, the introduction of Ni nanoparticles can improve the electrocatalytic ability for the reduction of triiodide ions in the counter electrode, while in the meantime, the addition of graphene in the Ni–PANI–G composites can increase the electrical conductivity of the counter electrode. The optimized DSSCs fabricated by using the Ni–PANI–G composites as the counter electrode exhibit an overall power conversion efficiency of 5.80% compared to 5.30% for reference platinum (Pt) counter-electrodes. Electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) show that the charge-transfer resistance at the interface between electrolyte and counter-electrode in the case of the ternary composite is obviously decreased. These results are significant to develop low-cost counter electrode materials for DSSCs.

In this article, ternary composites (Ni–PANI–G composites) consisting of nickel nanoparticles, polyaniline (PANI), and graphene (G) were prepared for the first time and used as counter electrodes to replace the noble metal Pt in DSSCs.     

Bagasse as a carbon structure with high sulfur content for lithium–sulfur batteries

A bagasse-based 3D carbon matrix (BC) with high specific surface area and high conductivity was obtained by carbonization and pore-forming processes with bagasse as the carbon precursor and K₂FeO₄ as the pore-former. The microporous structure and nitrogenous functional groups were determined in the prepared carbon matrix, which could allow high sulfur loading and improve the polysulfide absorption capacity during cycling. After sulfur infusion, the S/BC composite with 68.8% sulfur content was obtained. The lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery with the S/BC cathode shows high specific capacity and good cycling performance. It delivers a specific capacity of 1360 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.2C and remains at 790 mA h g⁻¹ after 200 cycles. At 1C, the Li–S with this composite cathode exhibits 601 mA h g⁻¹ after 150 cycles. This work offers a new kind of green material and a new method for Li–S batteries.

Bagasse-based carbon matrix with microporous structure and nitrogenous functional groups could have high sulfur loading and excellent polysulfide absorption capacity.     

Hierarchical Ni–Co–Mn hydroxide hollow architectures as high-performance electrodes for electrochemical energy storage

In this study, hierarchical Ni–Co–Mn hydroxide hollow architectures were successfully achieved via an etching process. We first performed the synthesis of NiCoMn-glycerate solid spheres via a solvothermal route, and then NiCoMn-glycerate as the template was etched to convert into hierarchical Ni–Co–Mn hydroxide hollow architectures in the mixed solvents of water and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Hollow architectures and high surface area enabled Ni–Co–Mn hydroxide to manifest a specific capacitance of 1626 F g⁻¹ at 3.0 A g⁻¹, and it remained as large as 1380 F g⁻¹ even at 3.0 A g⁻¹. The Ni–Co–Mn hydroxide electrodes also displayed notable cycle performance with a decline of 1.6% over 5000 cycles at 12 A g⁻¹. Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with this electrode exhibited an energy density of 44.4 W h kg⁻¹ at 1650 W kg⁻¹ and 28.5 W h kg⁻¹ at 12 374 W kg⁻¹. These attractive results demonstrate that hierarchical Ni–Co–Mn hydroxide hollow architectures have broad application prospects in supercapacitors.

An effective etching method is developed for the synthesis of hierarchical Ni–Co–Mn hydroxide hollow architectures, which exhibit high performance in electrochemical energy storage.     

One-dimensional polymer-derived ceramic nanowires with electrocatalytically active metallic silicide tips as cathode catalysts for Zn–air batteries

New metallic nickel/cobalt/iron silicide droplets at the tips of polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) nanowires have been identified as stable and efficient cathode catalysts for Zn–air batteries. The as-prepared catalyst having a unique one-dimensional (1D) PDC nanowire structure with the presence of metallic silicide tips of 1D-PDC plays a crucial role in facilitating oxygen reduction/evolution reaction kinetics. The Zn–air battery was designed using Ni/PDC, Co/PDC and Fe/PDC as air electrode catalysts. In electrochemical half-cell tests, it was observed that the catalysts have a good bifunctional electrocatalytic activity. The efficiency of the catalysts to function as a cathode catalyst in real-time primary and mechanically rechargeable Zn–air battery configurations was determined. The primary battery testing results revealed that Ni/PDC and Co/PDC exhibited a stable discharge voltage plateau up to 29 h. The Fe/PDC sample, on the other hand, performed up to 23 h with an operating potential of 1.20 V at the discharge current density of 5 mA cm⁻² after which the battery ceased to perform. The Ni/PDC, Co/PDC, and Fe/PDC cathode catalysts performed galvanostatic 1200 charge–discharge cycles in a mechanically rechargeable secondary Zn–air battery configuration. The results demonstrate that the Ni/PDC, Co/PDC, and Fe/PDC materials serve as excellent and durable bifunctional cathode electrocatalysts for Zn–air batteries.

New intermetallic silicide catalysts for Zn–air batteries facilitate ORR/OER kinetics and deliver peak power densities of 59 mW cm⁻² and 1200 cycles.     

Hypercrosslinked phenothiazine-based polymers as high redox potential organic cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Organic cathode materials have been demonstrated to be highly promising sustainable cathode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. However, the low redox potentials, low electrical conductivity, and the undesirable dissolution in organic electrolytes greatly limit their applications. Herein, two insoluble hypercrosslinked porous conductive polymers with phenothiazine motifs, HPEPT and HPPT, were successfully accomplished with high and stable discharge potentials at 3.65 and 3.48 V versus Li/Li⁺. HPEPT and HPPT with good electrical conductivity exhibited outstanding rate capabilities (up to 800 mA g⁻¹) even at a high mass loading up to 70 wt%. This study shows that excellent organic cathode materials could be achieved readily through this prudent design.

Hypercrosslinked conductive polymers with phenothiazine motifs were achieved and studied as organic cathode materials, exhibiting excellent electrochemical performance.     

Biomass-derived activated carbon/sulfur composites as cathode electrodes for Li–S batteries by reducing the oxygen content

Corncob-derived activated carbon/sulfur as the cathode electrode for lithium sulfur batteries shows a good electrochemical performance, but the capacity fades rapidly with increase of cycle time. The experimental results demonstrate that such capacity fading is closely related to oxygen content of the activated carbon matrix. To investigate the effect of oxygen content on capacity fading, four carbon matrices (CAC, OAC, HAC, NAC) with different oxygen contents but similar surface areas and pore textures were obtained through a two-step method, namely, CAC was firstly oxygenated by nitric acid and then was reduced by H₂ or NH₃ at high temperature. The oxygen content of CAC, OAC, HAC and NAC was about 9.49 wt%, 20.41 wt%, 4.98 wt% and 4.74 wt%, respectively. Electrodes HAC/50S (H₂-treated carbon/sulfur composite with 50% sulfur) and NAC/50S with low oxygen content show a big improvement compared to the CAC/50S electrode. The HAC/50S and NAC/50S electrode deliver a high initial discharge of 1443 and 1504 mA h g⁻¹ respectively, which remain at 756 and 799 mA h g⁻¹ after 200 cycles at 0.3C, demonstrating a good cycle capacity and stability. It is believed that the carbon matrix with low oxygen content can effectively trap the lithium polysulfides within the carbon framework, weakening the shuttle effect and thus slowing down the capacity fade to a certain degree. Therefore, one of the effective routes to improve the electrochemical performance of Li–S batteries is to reduce the oxygen content.

Carbon matrix with low oxygen content can effectively trap the lithium polysulfides within carbon framework, weakening the shuttle effect and slowing down capacity fade in certain degree, improve the electrochemical performance of Li–S batteries.     

Study on MnO2/MXene–Ti3C2 composite materials as cathode materials for magnesium batteries

In this paper, MnO₂/MXene–Ti₃C₂ composites with different molar ratios were successfully prepared by a one-step hydro-thermal method, and the optimum proportion was confirmed by XRD and SEM comparative analysis. The optimum proportion of MnO₂/MXene–Ti₃C₂ composites and MnO₂ was used as a cathode material for magnesium batteries to carry out the electrochemical performance test. The results showed that the charge–discharge capacity of the MnO₂/MXene–Ti₃C₂ composite was up to 105 mA h g⁻¹, much higher than that of MnO₂ (64 mA h g⁻¹), and meanwhile it had good rate performance. At the same time, this also opened up the application of MXene–Ti₃C₂, a new two-dimensional material, in the field of battery electrode materials.

In this paper, MnO₂/MXene–Ti₃C₂ composites with different molar ratios were successfully prepared by a one-step hydro-thermal method, and the optimum proportion was confirmed by XRD and SEM comparative analysis.     

Binder-free Sn–Si heterostructure films for high capacity Li-ion batteries

This study fabricated and demonstrated a functional, stable electrode structure for a high capacity Li-ion battery (LIB) anode. Effective performance is assessed in terms of reversible lithiation for a significant number of charge–discharge cycles to 80% of initial capacity. The materials selected for this study are silicon and tin and are co-deposited using an advanced manufacturing technique (plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition), shown to be a scalable process that can facilitate film growth on 3D substrates. Uniform and hybrid crystalline–amorphous Si nanowire (SiNW) growth is achieved via a vapour–liquid–solid mechanism using a Sn metal catalyst. SiNWs of less than 300 nm diameter are known to be less susceptible to fracture and when grown this way have direct electrical conductivity to the current collector, with sufficient room for expansion. Electrochemical characterisation shows stable cycling at capacities of 1400 mA h g⁻¹ (>4 × the capacity limit of graphite). This hybrid system demonstrates promising electrochemical performance, can be grown at large scale and has also been successfully grown on flexible carbon paper current collectors. These findings will have impact on the development of flexible batteries and wearable energy storage.

This study fabricated and demonstrated a functional, stable electrode structure for a high capacity Li-ion battery (LIB) anode.     

Mesoporous TiO2 coating on carbon–sulfur cathode for high capacity Li–sulfur battery

In this paper, a meso-porous TiO₂ (titania) coating is shown to effectively protect a carbon–sulfur composite cathode from polysulfide dissolution. The cathode consisted of a sulfur impregnated carbon support coated with a few microns thick mesoporous titania layer. The carbon–sulfur cathode is made using activated carbon powder (ACP) derived from biomass. The mesoporous titania coated carbon–sulfur cathodes exhibit a retention capacity after 100 cycles at C/3 rate (433 mA g ⁻¹) and stabilized at a capacity around 980 mA h g⁻¹. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the sulfur cathodes suggests that the charge transfer resistance at the anode, (R_act) is stable for the titania coated sulfur electrode in comparison to a continuous increase in R_act for the uncoated electrode implying mitigation of polysulfide shuttling for the protected cathode. Stability in the cyclic voltammetry (CV) data for the first 5 cycles further confirms the polysulfide containment in the titania coated cathode while the uncoated sulfur electrode shows significant irreversibility in the CV with considerable shifting of the voltage peak positions. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies confirm the adsorption of soluble polysulfides by mesoporous titania.

Mesoporous TiO₂ coating on carbon–sulfur cathode with simple electrical contact for high capacity Li–S battery.     

A cobalt–pyrrole coordination compound as high performance cathode catalyst for direct borohydride fuel cells

Pyrrole and cobalt nitrate were used as nitrogen and metal sources respectively to synthesize a dinitratobis(polypyrrole)cobalt(ii) (Co(polypyrrole)₂(NO₃)₂) adduct as the precursor of a Co–pyrrole/MPC catalyst. Pyrrole has the capability of polymerization and coordination with Co(ii). Taking this advantage, the Co(polypyrrole)₂(NO₃)₂ coordination can form a long-chain structure with abundant and robust Co–N bonds, contributing to significantly increased catalytic sites in the product catalyst. As a result, the obtained Co–pyrrole/MPC (MPC = macroporous carbon) catalyst exhibited high ORR catalytic activity in alkaline media and excellent performance in direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC). A peak power density up to 325 mW cm⁻² was achieved at ambient condition, outperforming the commercialized Pt/XC-72 benchmark containing 28.6 wt% Pt. The construction of long-chain coordination precursor was verified playing a key role in the electrochemical improvement of Co–pyrrole/MPC catalyst in DBFC.

Co–pyrrole/MPC was synthesized by using pyrrole and cobalt nitrate as nitrogen and metal source, which enabled a higher peak power density than the commercialized 28.6 wt% Pt/XC72 in DBFC.